Portland Promise Launch Set for Thursday, Oct. 5

The Portland Public Schools is about to launch an exciting new initiative to reintroduce the value and power of Portland’s public schools to the community.

The official launch of “The Portland Public Schools Promise,” will take place on Thursday, Oct. 5. at 5 p.m. at UNUM, located at 2211 Congress Street. A 4:30 p.m. reception will precede the events.

Portland Promise is centered around the district’s new Comprehensive Plan. “The Portland Promise represents the commitment that we are making to our students, their families and the entire Portland community to prepare and empower our graduates. We have a plan, we know how we are going to achieve it, and we want to be public and transparent about the plan,” said Superintendent Xavier Botana.

The district will be introducing the Portland Promise this fall through a communitywide campaign. “The campaign will highlight the unique educational experience offered by the Portland Public Schools and illustrate why our district is a great choice for families and deserving of community support,” Botana said. “The campaign will showcase a number of our successful graduates who are doing amazing things in our community.”

The Portland Promise is the result of the Portland Board of Public Education’s efforts to be more visible and proactive in engaging Portland in public education. “Portland taxpayers recognize that great schools are critical to a great city,” said Board Chair Anna Trevorrow. “We have great partnerships and great expectations, and the Portland Promise is our effort to make this public and to be responsive to our community.”

The Portland Promise is based on the district’s updated Comprehensive Plan, which was adopted by the school board in December 2016. The Portland Promise campaign is largely funded with generous support from partners such as Unum and the Nellie Mae Education Foundation.

The Portland Public Schools is Maine’s largest and most diverse school district. The graduates showcased in the Portland Promise campaign reflect that diversity in terms of ethnicity, race and age, and all say the quality education they received at the Portland Public Schools has been an integral part of their success.

Details of the campaign will be unveiled at the launch, but it will include posters on buses, banners on city streets, and announcements on the district’s website and in the community.